Russell Hyken, Ph.D. 
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AVOIDING OVERINDULGENCE HELPS TEACH KIDS VALUABLE LIFE LESSONS
It’s that time of year when kids are creating their lists and checking them twice to make sure mom and dad know everything they want. But parents, keep in mind that it’s merely a “wish list”, not a “must get list”.
Recently a Kansas City, Kansas beloved middle school teacher was fired for making an inappropriate comment in the classroom. The teacher made a “bad” joke that pushed the limit of acceptable classroom banter.
Anxiety is an inevitable part of life in today’s society. It is important to understand that there are many life situations in which anxiety, stress, or a little fear is an appropriate and reasonable reaction. If you don’t ever feel any anxiety in response to everyday challenges, something may be wrong. In fact anxiety can, in some cases, be a positive thing. Good stress motivates and energizes pushing you do your best work. A little fear may actually cause you
to work harder and be more productive.
Holidays are tricky times for divorced families. For parents, it can be troublesome knowing your teen is enjoying special moments with the other parent. For your teen, a juggled schedule between families can be very disruptive and disheartening.
I recently read an article on WebMD that discussed Internet addiction. Researchers examined the relationship between psychiatric symptoms and Internet addiction in 2,162 junior high students over a period of two years. About 11% of study participants were classified as having an Internet addiction in the initial assessment. This is an alarmingly high statistic.
Teens and cell phones
Texting has been in the news as kids head back to school. The NBC Today Show did a feature story about a rather graphic commercial related to the hazards of teen texting while driving. I think it makes a big statement, but some critics also think the ad is a bit over the top. What do you think? What the video.
All parents lecture their kids. Even as an adult child, my mother still lectures me usually about how I am raising my kids. Interestingly, I know that parental lecturing is an ineffective method of persuasion, but I feel it is my adult right to “annoy” my children with lengthy and meaningful/less stories to make them better men.
Whenever there is change, anxiety is natural. Back to school time often causes mixed emotions as kids are both excited and anxious about returning to school. Seeing friends, sharing summer stories, and back to school shopping can make the start of the school year fun. On the other side of the coin, many students are also very nervous as the fall semester begins.
I recently sat in with the Phillips & Company St. Louis Morning Show on Y98 FM. The topic — how parents should manage their teenager’s Web interaction in light of new and ever changing technologies like Skype and I-Chat. These latest forms of social networking are becoming more and more popular with teens and young adults. In fact, video calls are the modern day party line where teens can both see and hear each other. What is a parent to do?
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